Already cold, wet and weary from 80 tough minutes of Section III Class AA playoff girls soccer, Baldwinsville knew that the work was not done.
To get through Thursday night’s tense AA quarterfinal at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, the no. 2 seed Bees would have to play 20 full minutes of overtime against no. 7 seed Fayetteville-Manlius, an opponent it had beaten twice in the regular season.
Fortunately, Hailey Couchman was on hand – and the junior forward saved B’ville’s season, at least for one more round, with her hat trick and pair of OT scoring plays that helped produce a 4-2 victory over the Hornets.
Going into the playoffs at 13-3, the Bees didn’t make the mistake of taking F-M lightly, for though it ripped the Hornets 3-0 in an impressive road effort Sept. 4, it only prevailed by a 2-1 margin three weeks later at Pelcher-Arcaro.
Add to it the raw conditions, and it made for a challenge from the outset, though the Bees did put in the only goal of the first half and carried that slim 1-0 edge to the break.
Aided by the wind in the second half and Taking advantage of some defensive lapses from B’ville, F-M charged back as Jamison Seabury and Rachel Dobricki both put in unassisted goals, and when the Bees only converted once in response, the cold, wet battle went to 20 mandatory minutes of overtime even at 2-2.
In the last minute of the first OT period, though, Couchman, who already had a goal on the night, put one past Haley Everding for the second time. Not content with that, Couchman returned to get a third goal in the second extra period to help seal it.
Jade Gentile assisted on two of B’ville’s scoring plays, while Kaylee Scott netted the other goal and Madeline Darstein picked up one assist. Hanna Mackenzie was steady throughout the game, making six saves, three less than Everding.
The win helped push the Bees toward next week’s sectional semifinal against no. 3 seed Liverpool, who knocked off Auburn 3-1 without needing overtime, but with three goals from its star forward, Ore Akinpelu.
These two neighbors split their regular-season meetings, each side winning at home, and the survivor here goes to the sectional final against Cicero-North Syracuse or West Genesee.
